Round Mountain man arrested after high-speed pursuit

A 26-year-old Round Mountain man was arrested this afternoon after leading Redding police officers on a high-spend vehicle pursuit.

Cole Nighthawk Montgomery was booked into Shasta County jail after being arrested on suspicion of felony evading, possession of a sawed-off shotgun, possession of a concealed and loaded shotgun and a handgun, as well as on 13 outstanding warrants, police said.

The pursuit began around 1:17 p.m., when an officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a pickup in the area of Rancho and Airport roads, police said.

The officer recognized Montgomery, who was wanted and known to be possibly armed.

Montgomery, police said, immediately drove westbound on Rancho Road at a high rate of speed.

Police said Montgomery threw out a box of shotgun shells from his pickup during the pursuit and that officers lost him when he drove into the Cooper Ridge neighborhood.

But with the help of a California Highway Patrol helicopter, officers eventually spotted Montgomery's vehicle southbound on Alta Mesa Road.

Montgomery, who was armed with a handgun, ran away into a wooded area and a police dog, Tarro, was unleashed.

Montgomery was then apprehended and arrested, police said, adding they recovered the loaded handgun in the woods near where Montgomery was arrested. They also found a loaded sawed-off shotgun inside Montgomery's pickup. Montgomery was taken to Shasta Regional Medical Center for a medical clearance before booked into jail.